THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: May 24, 2014

It's a famous line from a movie.

"You're either first or you're last."

It might feel like that, but not for long.

IN CASE you missed it, and you probably didn't, there was plenty of reasons to be thrilled as the Lake City High boys track team, Coeur d'Alene softball team and Lakeland baseball team all finished with runner-up performances in their respective state tournaments last weekend in the Boise area.

And that doesn't count the Timberlake boys track team, which finished third in the 3A meet, and only six points off a championship of its own.

With Lakeland, the Hawks had to overcome a 10-4 deficit early on in the semifinals against Skyview High of Nampa. Some teams might have folded and settled for the third-place game, but not Lakeland.

The Hawks proceeded to score the final 12 runs of that game, just to advance to the championship game.

Unfortunately, they just ran out of steam in the championship game in a 4-1 loss against Twin Falls.

"I'm so proud of my team," Lakeland coach Jason Bradbury said following the game. "We had a heck of a run down here at state and had a couple of chances that, if we were successful, there might have been a completely different storyline. I told them to hold their heads up because they should be proud of themselves. I think that after a few days, we will begin to realize what a true accomplishment we made this year. I had a great group of kids that never let us down, always competed and never gave up."

And about that group, only four will graduate this year. The other nine, all juniors, will just have to wait another 358 days to get a shot at redemption.

YOU'VE GOT to hand it to both the Lake City boys track and the Coeur d'Alene softball teams.

For Lake City, it was a numbers game from the start. Rocky Mountain High of Meridian ran away with the championship with 119 points, followed by the Timberwolves with 83.5 points and Mountain View of Meridian a distant third with 59.5.

With track, you've got to perform, no matter how many bids are handed out. That being said, when Region 1 (Coeur d'Alene, Lake City, Post Falls Lewiston) gets three individual and two relay spots, compared to District III (Boise area) getting eight individuals and top four relays, it makes things a little easier if they can place at least three or four, rather than relying on the same three to be at their best two weeks in a row.

Being on a softball field for eight straight hours last Saturday, the Coeur d'Alene Vikings couldn't quite pull off a complete comeback, falling in an if-necessary championship game 7-4 to Mountain View last Saturday at the Skyview Softball Complex in Nampa.

"It was really warm on the field," Coeur d'Alene coach Larry Bieber said. "But the girls played really strong right up to the end."

LIKE LAKELAND, the Viking softball team only loses four players to graduation next year. Next spring, the state 5A tournament will be played at Post Falls High.

They might have finished second this year, but that bad feeling will end eventually.

It's not first, but it was close enough.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.